flying
flying — noun
1. the activity of going from one place to another in an aircraft, especially as a
the activity of going from one place to another in an aircraft, especially as a passenger
Pim was nervous about flying, so he took a deep breath before boarding the plane.
uncountable noun used as object of preposition 'about'
Flying has become much cheaper in recent years, allowing more families to take holidays abroad.
flying as subject of a sentence
Ryo prefers flying over driving when he visits his relatives in the countryside.
The doctor told Talia that flying might worsen her ear infection.
- aviation
more technical; refers to the industry or science of flying rather than the personal activity
- air travel
more formal; used when contrasting with other travel modes
用法筆記
Commonly used as a gerund (the -ing form of 'fly') and typically uncountable — you cannot say 'a flying' or 'two flyings'.
常見錯誤
flying — adjective
1. having the natural ability or power to move through the sky, usually by using wi
having the natural ability or power to move through the sky, usually by using wings or an engine
Iris spotted a flying beetle land on the kitchen windowsill.
attributive use before a noun (flying beetle)
Most flying creatures rely on lightweight bones and strong chest muscles.
The flying fish escaped the predator by leaping out of the water.
Antonia bought a toy drone that looked like a small flying saucer.
- flightless
unable to fly, especially of birds
- grounded
kept on the ground, unable to take off
用法筆記
Used almost always before a noun (attributive position). You would not say 'This bird is flying' to mean 'able to fly' — that would describe the bird in motion. Use 'flying' before a noun to describe a kind or type.
常見錯誤
2. travelling at speed through the air, especially after being thrown, pushed, or b
travelling at speed through the air, especially after being thrown, pushed, or blown
A flying stone hit the van window and cracked the glass.
describes an object in motion through the air
Children laughed as they tried to catch the flying leaves in the autumn wind.
The goalkeeper stretched his arm out to stop the flying ball.
Passengers covered their heads when flying debris crashed through the bus roof.
用法筆記
Describes objects in motion, not the ability to fly. Unlike sense 1 (ABLE TO FLY), this sense is about the current movement of an object — a 'flying stone' is a stone that is currently moving through the air, not a stone that can fly.
常見錯誤
3. achieving an outstanding result in a test, exam, or competition; with great succ
achieving an outstanding result in a test, exam, or competition; with great success
Imran passed his driving test with flying colors on the very first try.
fixed phrase: pass with flying colors/colours
Shirin graduated from the nursing program with flying colors.
The new restaurant came through its health inspection with flying colors.
Élise completed the marathon with flying colors, finishing in the top five percent.
- brilliantly
adverb; can be used directly with verbs ('She performed brilliantly')
- exceptionally well
more formal; works in any register
- barely
adverb; 'barely passed' suggests the minimum possible result
文法句型
flying colors/colours (fixed noun phrase)
用法筆記
This sense appears almost exclusively in the fixed expression 'with flying colors' (US) / 'with flying colours' (UK). It cannot be used alone before a noun — you cannot say 'a flying result' in this sense. The expression originally comes from naval tradition, where a ship returned to port 'with flags flying' to show victory.